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CU Letter In Opposition to H.R. 1215, the Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017

SUMMARY: Consumers Union, the policy and mobilization arm of the independent, non-profit Consumer Reports, writes to express opposition to H.R. 1215, the so-called “Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017.” Preventable medical errors are the third-leading cause of death in the United States. While this problem needs to be addressed on many fronts, an essential component of those efforts is the ability of patients and their families to hold health care providers accountable in court for harmful errors and abuses. H.R. 1215 would severely restrict that ability in ways that are arbitrary and overly broad, weakening protections and exposing patients to greater potential risk.